Portable washing machine



Jan, 6. 1925.

E. COWLES PORTABLE WASHING MACHINE Filed June 28.. 1923 61H0: nu:

Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN COWLES, .OfF' NIETW YORK, N. Y.

PORTABLE WASHING MACHINE.

Application led .Tune 28, 1923.

.of New York,y have invented .certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Washing Machines, of which the vfollewingis av specification. i

This invention relatesto improvements in washing machines, Vand more particularly to that general type illustrated in my copending application, "Serial No. 588,271,

filed Se tember 14, 1922.

One o the'objects of the present invention is to provide a simple and practical washing machine particularly adapted for household use, which may be easily operated.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above general character having relatively few parts, which may be inexpensively manufactured and assembled.v

Another object is to provide a portable self-contained washing machine which may be placed in any fluid-tight receptacle containing the clothes or articles to be washed and operated .from any convenient source of power.

A. furtherobject is to provide a practical,

self-contained portable washing apparatus,"

requiring a minimum amount of attention in its operation and one which will be foolproof further object is to provide a 1washing machine of the above character which will reliably and efficiently clean the clothes acted upon by it, without danger of the clothes becoming clogged or matted duringv the washing thereof.4

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings showin one' of various possible embodiments o the invention, and in the several views of which similar parts are designated by corresponding reference characters.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing the complete apparatus;

Figure 2 is a detail view, certain parts being broken away or shown in section to more clearly illustrate the same; and

Figure 3 is a detail sectional plan view.

Referring now to these drawings in detail, and more particularly to Figure 1, 5 indicates a motor of small horsepower, preferably electric, and either of universal type,

Serial No. 648,256. 'Y

A. C. or-D. C., as" may be desired, according to the lighting circuit of the city in which the'article is to be used. .This motor is rigidly supported b aplurality of supporting legs 6 direct yi associated with a top plate 7 secured in anydesired manner,

`as by means of small screws 8 to the upper -part of a cylindrical 'casing 10, the lower part of which isv provided wlth an open face 11 vinthe present instance, formed of a suitable screen or relatively close perforations, directly in the .wall of the c linder 1,0. i

.This cylinder has a plura ity ofl erforations or a screen forming an .open ace` 11, as itmay be termed, and associated therewith, -in the present form, is an outletl or nozzle 12 whichl is connected to the discharge of.a rotary pump 13' shown :more clearly in Figures 2 and 3. This pump is of any desired conventional form operated by means of a shaft 14 directly connected with the motor 5. The ,underside of the pump is preferably spaced two or three inches from the bottom ofthe casing 10 and is provided Withan opening 1 5, whereby the water is drawn into the central part ofthe pum through the open face 11, and ejected forcibly through the nozzle 12.

IIL practice, I prefer to locate this nozzle 12 in the center of the open face 11, thereby to act directly upon the clothes being washed and to -forcethem away fiomthe openings. This positively prevents the clothes fromclogging or matting against the open face,'which' it`will be observed is'the suction end ofthe circulating system. While the exact location of this nozzle with respect to the open face .is not essential, it is, however, the more desired form, for this nozzle shouldbe so disposed with respect thereto as to positively prevent the clothes from matting thereagainst. f

It will be noted that some of the openings in the open face 11 are above the nozzle 12, whereby the water is drawn in throu h the upper part of the open face as well, t ereby to lubricate the bearing of the rod 14 as it passes through a suitable boss 16 in the 4 lighting fixture. The casing or cylinder 10 is placed in a tub or bucket of water or even a, wash basin, in which the clothes to be washed are also to be placed. The current is then turned on and the motor drives the shaft 14 at a high rate of speed, causing the pump 13 to revolve and draw the wash water in through the perforations 1l up through the opening 15 on the underside of the pump-from which circulating system it is ejected forcibly through the nozzle 12. This high pressure .jet of water not only thoroughly cleans the clothes, but causes them to circulate rapidly about the receptacle and also positively prevents them from matting against the suction openings.

The device is of simple and practical construction, is self-contained and easily lcarried from one place to another, and can be conveniently set up in any receptacle at a moments notice. It will, therefore, be seen that the present invention fully contemplates among others all of the objects and advantages herein set forth.

VVit-hout further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by applying 'current knowledge, readily adapt it fior various applications without o-mittingcertain features that, from the standpoint of the'prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and, therefore, such adaptions should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a portable self-contained washing machine, in combination, a member adapted to be placed in a receptacle and having an open suction face, a pump directly associated therewith for drawing water in through said open face, and a discharge nozzle associated with said pump so positioned with respect to said open face as to positively prevent the clothes from matting against the suction opening.

2. In a portable self-contained washing machine, in combination, a body member having a motor directly associated therewith. a pump carried Within said bodyY member, a suction opening in the body member for supplying fluid to the pump, a discharge nozzle connected with said pump and so positioned with respect to said suction opening' as to prevent the clothes from matting thereagainst.

3. In a portable self-contained washing machine, in combination, a body member having a motor. 'directly associated therecarried by said body member, a suction opening in the body .member for supplying fluid to the pump, a discharge nozzle connected with said pump and so positioned with rei spect to said suction opening as to prevent the clothes fro-m matting thereagainst., said suction opening comprising a screen or perforated surface in the body member.

f1. In a portable self-contained washing machine, in combination, a cylindrical body member having a topplate, a motor mounted directly thereon, a driving shaft extending from the motor through said top plate to the interior of the body member, and a pump driven by said shaft, said body member having an open face anda discharge nozzle associated with said open face, whereby water is drawn in through the open face and forcibly ejected under high pressurethrough said nozzle.

5. In a portable self-contained washing machine, in combination, a body member, a top platemounted thereon, a motor carried by said topl plate, a shaft extending from the motor through said top plate, and a pump driven by said shaft within the body member, saidv body member having a plurality of suction openings, and a discharge nozzle centrally associated therewith whereby water is drawn in through said openings and ejected from -saidl nozzle by action o-f the pump to prevent the clothes from matting thereagainst. i

Signed this 24th day of May, 1923.

EDWIN COWLES. 

